Blast-furnace-charging device.



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G. P. TURNER & J. W. D BLAST FURNACE OHARG 8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 868,506.' PATENTED OCT. 15, 1907.

C. P. TURNER & J. W. DOUGHERTY.

BLAST FURNACE CHARGING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED mm. 14. 1901.

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No. 868,506. PATENTED OUT. 15, 1907.

G. P. TURNER & J. W. DOUGHERTY.

BLAST FURNACE CHARGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 1907.

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BLAST FURNACE GHARG ING DEVICE. APPLICATION mum r113. 14, 1907.

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No. 868,506. PATENTBD OUT. 15, 1907. C. P. TURNER & J. W. DOUGHERTY. BLAST FURNACE CHARGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED T3114. 1907.

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BLAST FURNACE CHARGING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED P213. 14. 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFIC.

CHARLES P. TURNER, or HARRISBURG, AND JOHN WEBSTER DOUGHERTY, or STEELTON,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

BLAST-FUBNACE-CHARGING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application filed February 14,1907. Serial No. 357,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES P. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, and JOHN WEBsTnR DOUGHERTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Steelton, both in the county of Dauphin, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BlastFurnace-Charging Devices; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to blast furnace charging apparatus and more especially to means for the automatic I charging of blast furnaces without the necessity of an attendant at the top of the furnace, and has for its object to provide not only an automatic bucket carrying and dumping mechanism, but also means for orienting or directing the bucket to dump at the desired angular position onto the bell of the blast furnace so that the Stock will be uniformly charged on the bell, together with the details of construction of the skip hoist carriage or buggy as will hereinafter be more particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1, is a general view showing the charging apparatus in relation to the typical furnace. Fig. 2, is a detail showing the buggy and self-dumping bucket ready for receiving a load of stock from the lorry car. Fig. 3, is a plan of the buggy] Fig. 3 is a section on line x x Fig. 3. Fig. 4, is a side elevation of the buggy at its upper end or discharging position. Fig. 5, is a plan showing the track arrangement and the frog at the junction of the two tracks. Fig. 6, is a section taken above the frog. Fig. 7, is a section taken below the frog. Fig. 8, shows a section of a modification taken above the frog. Fig. 9, a section of a modification taken below the frog. Fig. 10, is a detail on a larger scale of the means for orienting or changing the dumping direction of the bucket. Fig. 11, is an end view of a pawl and ratchet mechanism for rotating the orienting device. Fig. 12, is a detail of the detent for said orienting device. Fig. 13, is a perspective view showing the parts carried by shaft 41.

In Fig. 1, we have shown a well known type of blast furnace 15, having a charging bell and hopper 16, of any suitable type. The upper end of the way 17 is supported from the top of the furnace by suitable posts or equivalent means 18. As shown the upper end of the way and the track thereon approach a horizontal above the furnace and then is more sharply declined toward the bottom of the way for the majority of its length, its

lower end being conveniently positioned with respect to the source of supply of stock. We have shown the lower end of the way entering the stock house adjacent the elevated bins 19, the bucket being in its lowered position to be filled from barrows or from the lorry car 20.

In the upper part of the stock house we have shown the driving drum or sheave 21 for operating the skip hoist. This drum or sheave is driven by any suitable engine or mechanism, the structure of which forms no part of the present invention.

The way 17 contains two tracks 22, 23 which unite preferably but not necessarily, near the top into a single track portion 24, Fig. 5, so that we can employ two buggies, one ascending while the other is descending. The hoisting rope has one end connected to a buggy and passes up the way around the sheave 26, then over a supporting sheave 27 to thehoisting drum or sheave 21, then back over like sheaves 27 and 26 to the other buggy so that when one of the buggies is traveling up the incline the other is traveling down and when one is in discharging position, the otheris in charging position, this being customary with some skip hoists.

Each track 22, 23, is preferably but not necessarily composed of three rails, a, b, and c, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the inner rails a of which unite preferably near the top of the way at frog 29. The buggies are each provided at their front and rear preferably with single flanged wheels 30 on the outer sides, the flanges of the wheels running in slots formed between the rail 1) and the guard rail 0, while the suspension rod for the bucket passes through the slot between the two inner rails a and b as shown in Fig. 7. One of the wheels of each buggy must pass over the frog 29 and the necessarily extra width of slot above the point of the frog. These wheels 31 are plain cylinders of such a length that their outer ends are supported by one of the outer rails before the inner ends leave the point of the frog, as seen in Fig. 5. Assuming the buggy is moving in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, the lower wheel 31 is just running onto the frog 29 and its inner end is supported by the rail a of the right hand track and its outer end is resting on the inner rail a of the left hand track while the upper wheel 31 is just leaving the point of the frog 29 and its outer end is resting on the rails b and c of the left hand track. Above the point of the frog, the rails b and c of each track continuing to the top of the incline to form a single track as shown in Fig. 6, and on which the buggies travel from the frog to their dumping position over the furnace.

Although we prefer to use single flanged wheels traveling on the rails as above described, it is possible to use double flanged wheels 131 and thus dispense with the line 0 of guard rails as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the buggies 32 are provided at their rear with a horn 33 to which is secured the end of the hauling rope 25. They carry a block 34 which has trunnions 35 that are mounted in bearings 36 one at each side of the opening 43 through the buggy. Through this block 34 passes the rod 37 on the lower end of which the bucket is sus pended and on the upper end of which is suitably keyed or otherwise fastened a beveled gear wheel 38. This gear wheel meshes with a like beveled gear wheel 39 preferably but not necessarily made in one piece with a spur wheel 40, both of which 39 and 40, are mounted on an extension of one of the trunnions 35 and are free to turn thereon. Passing through the buggy is a shaft 41 which has secured to one of its ends an arm 42 on the outer side of the buggy. Also secured to this shaft within the opening 43 in the buggy frame is a curved forked arm 44 and at the other end of the shaft 41 and loose thereon is an arm 45 having a nose 46 that engages the spur wheel 40, said arm also having a depending tail 47, the purpose of which will hereafter be described.

The rod 37 carries at its lower end bucket 48 sus pended by trunnions 40 secured to the bucket and mounted in the yoke 50. The bucket has at its rear a detent lug 51. A bracket 52 is secured to rod 37 and has pivotally mounted in it at 53 a detent lever 54 whose upper end has an eye or a forked end 55 surrounding the rod 37 and the lower end of which lever has a hook 56 engaging the lug 51. On the rod 37 resting on the eye 55 and engaged at its upper end by the forked lever 44 is a pusher sleeve 58.

The ends of the rails at the top of the way are preferably but not necessarily curved upward as shown at 60, conforming to the forward wheels of the buggy and acting as a stop for the buggy in its upper end position. Adjacent the track on a part of the super-structure is a stop 61 that projects into the path of the arm 42 as the buggy travels towards its dumping end position. The arm 42 striking this stop is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4, rotating shaft 41 and the forked lever 44 to move the sleeve 58 down on rod 37 thereby depressing eye 55 and releasing the hook end 56 of the lever 54 from the detent lug 51 on the rear of the bucket and permitting the bucket to dump, said bucket being eccentrically mounted by its trunnions 49 in the yoke 50 so that the weight of the load will automaticallyrevolve the bucket on ilstrunnions to dump.

At the bottom of the way we have shown a means for orienting or directing the angular dumping position of the bucket more clearly shown in Figs. 2, 10, 1.1 and 12 and consists of aprismatic rack preferably regular in shape and here shown as a six sided prism 62, each side having a different number of teeth thereon, said prism being provided with shaft 63 and detent or notched wheel 64 at one end and a ratchet wheel 65 on the other end and mounted in the way so that when the buggy descends, the spur wheel 40 Fig. 3, will engage the rack teeth and rotate the bevel gear 39 which in turn rotates the bevel gear 38 secured to the bucket rod 37. In order to do which, the nose 47 of the pawl 45., which is loose on shaft 41, has previously ridden on a cam rail 66 to release the detent 46 from the spur wheel 40 so that as the spur wheel 40 moves into engagement with the rack 62 it will be free to rotate.

Each side of the prismatic rack has a number of teeth the sequence of which can be varied to alter the direction in which the bucket will be turned and the angular movement of the bucket is dependent on the number of teeth for the time being in the path oi the spur wheel 40.

Mounted on the shaft 63 adjacent the ratchet wheel 65 is a lever 67 carrying a pawl 68 pivoted at 69 to the lever. Connected at 70 to the lever 67 is a piston 71 of a pneumatic or other fluid cylinder 72 which is sup plied with compressed air or steam in any suitable manner, the piston 71 being a single acting piston there being a counter weight (not shown) connected by rope 73 to the end of the lever 67 to return said lever and piston 71 to normal position preparatory to being again operated. The counter-weight may be replaced by any equivalent mechanism such as a retraction spring or the like. The detent wheel 64 is engaged by a spring urged detent 74 mounted in any suitable manner said detent being automatically forced from the detent notches against the stress of its spring when sutllcient pressure is put on the ratchet lever 67.

The operation is as follows: When the buggy 32 with the bucket 48 suspended below it is in its lowermost position the bucket hangs in a pit or the like if so desired and is loaded in any desirable manner as from a lorry car 20 discharging directly into the bucket, the tail 47 of arm 45 resting on the cam rail 66 to hold the nose 46 of said arm out of engagement with the spur wh eel 40. When the hoisting engine is started and the buggy begins to ascend, the spur wheel 40 moves into contact with the orienting device and the rack 62 selectively positioned for the time being is engaged by the spur wheel 40 and rotates the same with its bevel or miter wheel 39 which in turn rotates spur wheel 38 to which is slidably connected the bucket suspending rod 37 and rotates or orients the bucket about its suspension. After the spur wheel 40 leaves the rack 62 the nose 4G is permitted to come into engagement therewith by reason of the cam rail 66 not supporting the tail 47 of arm 45. When the bugg 7 has been moved over the blast furnace and as it comes into its end position, arm 42 on shaft 41. strikes stop 6] on the hoist way. This shaft is thereby rocked and rocks the forked lever 41 which depresses sleeve 58 whose lower end causes lever 54 to unlatch the bucket and allow it to dump. The buggy now descends and in coming into position shown in Fig. 2 the tail 47 of arm 45 first rides on cam rail 66 to withdraw the nose 46 from engagement with the spur wheel 40 and release it before the spur wheel comes into engagement with the prismatic rack 62 again to rotate back into its original loading position. Then the prismatic rack 62 is moved, if it is desirable to do so to orient the bucket in another angular dumping direction. Thus the bucket is returned to its original position after each dump in order that the loading thereof may be facilitated. A somewhat similar device is' shown in our application Serial No. 357430, filed 14 February, 1907 We claim 1. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a buggy of a bucket, a rigid suspension for the bucket means to mount the suspension in the buggy to swing and devices to selectively rotate the bucket about a vertical axis.

'on the bu y 2. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a buggy; of abucket, a rigid suspension for the bucket, a mount for said suspension, trunnions on said mount having bearing in the buggy and means to permit the selective rotation of the suspension and bucket about a vertical axis.

3. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a buggy: of a mount having bearing in the buggy, a rigid suspension rod rotatively mounted in the mount, a bucket at the lower end of the suspension rod.

4. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a buggy having an opening formed in its body; of a block having trunnions mounted in the buggy proximate the opening, a bucket suspending rod passing through said opening rotatably mounted in the block to permit the revolution thereof about a vertical axis, also to swing with the block about the trunnions.

5. In a furnace charging device the combination with a buggy; of a bucket suspended therefrom, and means to rotate the bucket to any desired angle and means to lock the bucket in its rotated dumping direction.

(1. In a furnace charging device the combination with a bugg of a bucket, a rigid suspension therefor mounted in the bug, and free to swing, means carried by the buggy and operated by the movement thereof to rotate the bucket and its suspension and means on the buggy to lock the suspension in its rotated position.

7. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a way to the furnace top of a buggy to travel thereon, a bucket carried by the buggy and means on the way to control the dumping of the bucket in any direction.

Q. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a way to the top of the furnace; of a buggy to travel thereon. a bucket carried by the buggy and means at the load ing end of the way to control the dumping direction of the bucket as the buggy travels toward the furnace and to ro late the bucket back into loading position as the buggy rc turns.

9. In a furnace charging device. the combination with a way ascending to the furnace top; of a buggy to travel on said way. a bucket suspended from the buggy. means on the way to position the bucket in its (lumping direction during the movement: of the buggy and mechanism to oper ate said means to change the dumping direction.

10. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a way. of a buggy to travel thereon, a suspension swingingly mounted on the bugg a bucket carried 'by the sus pension, gearing on the buggy to rotate the suspension and bucket, adjustable means on the way to actuate the gearing as the buggy moves to orient the bucket and means to lock said gearing and thereby lock the bucket in its oriented position.

11. In a furnace ch argingflevice, the combination with a way; of a buggy to travel thereon, a rigid suspension mounted to swing in the buggy, a bucket on said suspension. means to hold the bucket in its righted position, gearing to rotate the suspension, a rack on the way to orient the suspension and bucket. a pawl to lock the gearing after orienting, and a bucket releasing device to actuate said means and actuated by the movement of the buggy into its dumping position.

12. The combination with a buggy, ot' a bucket carried thereby. means to mount the bucket to rotate about a vertical a.\ is and means to rotate the bucket into dumping position and return the bucket to normal position after each dumping operation.

13. The combination with a buggy, of a bucket carried thereby, means to mount the bucket in the buggy to rotate about a vertical axis, and means to selectively rotate the bucket.

14. The combination with a buggy, of a bucket carried thereby, means to mount the bucket in the buggy to rotate, and means to selectively rotate the bucket and return it to normal position after each dumping operation.

15. The combination with a way; of a buggy to travel thereon, a bucket mounted to rotate in the buggy, and means on the way at a distance from the dumping position of the buggy and bucket on the way, to rotate the bucket and means to dump the bucket.

16. The combination with a way; of a buggy to travel thereon, a bucket mounted to rotate with respect to the buggy and means on the way at a distance from the dumping place to rotate the bucket and return the bucket to normal position after each dumping operation.

17. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a way; of a bucket orienting device comprising series of rack teeth and means to operatively position any one of said series of teeth.

18, In a furnace charging device, the combination with a way; of a bucket orienting device comprising a prismatic member, a series of rack teeth on each face thereof, the number of teeth in each series differing from those in the others, and means to rotate said member to bring any one of the series into operative position.

19. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a way, of a hexagonal prism, a shaft on which said prism is mounted, hearings on the way for said shaft, rack teeth on the faces of the prism, the number of teeth on each face of the prism being diiferent, a ratchet wheel on the shaft and a ratchet lever to operate the wheel, substantially as described.

20. In a furnace charging device, the combination with a way, of a regular prism, a shaft on which the prism is mounted, bearings on the way for said shaft, a detent' wheel on the shaft, a spring urged detent to engage the detent wheel, a ratchet wheel on the shaft, a fluid pressure actuated ratchet lever to engage the ratchet wheel to rotate the prism, and rack teeth on each face of the prism, the number of teeth differing on the several faces.

21. In a furnace charging device the combination with a buggy of a block having trunnions mounted in the buggy, a bucket suspending rod rotatively mounted in the block, a bucket mounted on trunnions at the end of the rod, means to lock the bucket in righted position and supported by the rod, a sleeve on the rod, a forked lever on the bugg engaging the end of the sleeve, and means to operate the lever to depress the sleeve and unlock the bucket.

22. In a furnace charging device the combination with a buggy having an opening through its body, of a block having trunnions mounted on the buggy and proximate the opening. a bucket suspending rod rotatively mounted in the block and passing through the opening, a bevel gear wheel secured to the upper end of the rod, a bevel gear wheel mounted loose on one of the trunnions and meshing with the first mentioned gear, a spur wheel connected to the second bevel gear, a detent pawl to engage the spur wheel, aselfdumping bucket on the lower end of the rod, a detent lever to hold the bucket in righted position and supported from the rod, a sleeve on the rod whose lower end engages the detent lever, a'shaft mounted in the buggy on which the detent pawl is loosely mounted, a forked lever secured to the shaft and engaging the up per end of the sleeve and a lever fixed on the shaft whereby said shaft: may be rotated.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention, we have signed our names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES P. TURNER. JOHN WEBSTER DOUGI-IERTY.

Witnesses Geo. W. PARSONS, HOMER L. LITznNBnnG. 

